Juno Kallone
Juno Kallone of Clan Kallone, known as Juna'llone in Ryl, is a Twi’lek Force-sensitive smuggler and rebel hailing from the planet Ryloth, captain of the Red Pegasi and a founder of the modern Seraph Cell. Born mere months before the Separatist occupation of her homeworld and the middle-youngest child of the family, her clan would only be spared the terrors of the Clone Wars when they fled to Coruscant alongside the few like-minded Twi’lek clans and were fortunate enough to just avoid the droid's invasion of their home. Growing up during the early years of the Galactic Empire's regime, Juno would firsthand experience the xenophobia and oppression that was especially prevalent in the Core Worlds. With a childhood spent in the retches of Coruscant, she eventually left to work on contract to a shipping company, where she would become involved with hitching illegal shipments to the freighter she worked on. Eventually stealing her ship, the ''Red Pegasi'', ''from her own employers and beginning her life of crime, Juno would come into the employ of the Rebel Alliance and eventually began to fly with them exclusively. She would fly in the Battle of Scarif and the Battle of Yavin IV notably, where she and Green Five, Delan Tenro, would attempt to evacuate who they could from the moon before the Death Star destroyed it. Whilst they failed to secure High Command, those they did manage to save would go on to found Seraph Cell on the planet Iego. Seraph Cell had become relatively entrenched by 3 AIV and so had Juno, cemented as a figure of somewhat-seniority within the cell alongside Delan and Lev Cassel, an Imperial defector. Following the destruction of Iego in 3 AIV, Juno would relocate with the cell to Coruscant, her adopted homeworld, to await the word of the Fulcrum Agent. While there, she would be identified as a Force-sensitive when under interrogation in the custody of the Coruscant Security Force after being taken in with other members of Seraph for suspicious activity. The only thing that would spare her is Delan trading himself in her place to the Empire, thus leading to his path as an Inquisitor for the Empire. Prior to their separation the two would form a basic Force Bond, which permitted Juno to keep in rudimentary connection with him while he was turned against Seraph by his new masters. Often reduced to just feeling his basest emotions and vice-versa, the connection would bring her comfort knowing he was alive. But, more often than not, it caused immense pain as she frequently suffered what he did, and would eventually become horrified at what the Inquisitorius had made of him. Biography Early Life (23 BIV - 4 BIV) Born in 23 BIV, Juno is the second-youngest in Clan Kallone, born to Chee and Dia Kallone. Her three older sisters Rhea and the twins Gaia and Maia are only a few years her senior, and her younger brother Orus was born a year after her -- The only member of the clan born on Coruscant, where her family sought sanctuary from the Confederacy occupation. She has various cousins and extended family in Clan Kallone, most presumed to be still on Ryloth. Notably, her family's Kalikori, the ancient Twi'leki object used to recall their clan's history, was left behind in the rush to leave. This contributed to her family's instability as they adapted to life in the upper-middle-class of the Core Worlds and later, to the underworld. Recognized as refugees by the Galactic Republic and her clan personally vouched for by Senator Orn Free Taa, Juno would spend her childhood in modest civilian housing, her family provided for with a modest government stipend that would see them fed and happy. Though Coruscant was her second home, it's the only home Juno can recall clearly and she has no memories of Ryloth. Childhood Juno was only two when the Jedi Purge was initiated by the Chancellor-turned-Emperor, and her memories of the Republic are instead dominated by life under the Imperial banner once the coup was complete. No longer welcome to the benefits of the Empire’s government due to both the war’s end and suspected anti-alien prejudice, Juno’s parents and elder siblings would be put to work in factory jobs to support their clan instead, which was the only government aid they were welcome to. They had to move out of their government dwelling and wound up on the lower levels of Coruscant, with most of the impoverished alien population at the time. Instead of growing up among her kinsman on her homeworld, or in the stability of Coruscant’s middle class, Juno instead experienced a childhood of relative poverty on Level 1341. Coruscant’s lower levels, especially just following the Empire’s rise, were no place for a growing child but compromises had to be made. She was homeschooled by her elder sister Rhea instead of receiving a proper education due to financial restrictions, just understanding enough to be literate and mathematically minded. As the Empire marched on so too did the family's resolve to thrive. Plans were made to return to Ryloth, but the costs to transport them all would be too high so they were quickly abandoned, reduced more to a dream than reality. Teenagehood In her teenage years, Juno had acquired a keen sense of street smarts and was becoming more and more aware of the growing Rebellion movement. Though any outright rebellion was courting danger on Coruscant, that did not stop those in the lower levels, dissatisfied with the Empire’s treatment of them, from lashing out. Riots grew more common by the day and soon enough an 'us-versus-them' mentality was starting to grow between the emboldened insurgents and the tired Imperials forced to watch them. To be neutral was to court danger from both sides, and the line was exactly where Juno's family sat. With the rise of rebellious activity, gang activity spiked too in the districts around Juno's home. Pressure mounted in the community to conform to certain behaviours and standards set by the criminal groups that started laying claim to levels and ground on Coruscant. In Juno's district, stimsticks, a substance originally from Kubindi, became incredibly popular due to their ability to 'stimulate' the mind and keep one awake for unnaturally long hours. She would become hooked on them both in an effort to blend in and avoid harassment, and to keep her awake to study for the tests she would need to complete to be certified as a commercial pilot. She hadn't had much practice yet behind a ship herself, but practised on simulators when she could and took the family's old speeder everywhere -- The drugs certainly helped keep her mind focused on passing the trials ahead, even if it wasn't healthy for her, and it seemed like something or someone was in her corner as she consistently performed highly on flight simulators and was projected to be an incredibly talented pilot despite near-non-existent time behind an actual ship's control. The Empire's stranglehold on Core Worlds trade was known, and a result Juno faced unique difficulties in getting her official certification due to her species despite her incredible aptitude. More than one official questioned her suitability to be involved in commercial flight-work based on appearances alone, insinuating uncomfortable ideas that only served to make her work twice as harder to prove her worth in the trade sector's eyes -- Or rather, the Empire's. Eventually, she did meet the requirements to be certified, but only after much-unwanted attention, scrutiny and plenty of unnecessary effort. This, combined with the Empire's treatment of her family post-reformation, began to foster a healthy distaste for the new regime in the young Twi'lek. Shortly following the broadcast of the Declaration of Rebellion by former senator Mon Mothma, Juno would get employment working on a shipping freighter to get her off-world after she had obtained her license. Tensions had over-boiled with the senator’s words, and it seemed more and more likely that a crackdown to the rebellious sentiments in the lower levels of Coruscant was coming. The freighter would ensure Juno got free transportation off-world and a small stipend, most of which would find it's way back to the clan to help support them. Shipping Contractor (4 BIV - 2 BIV) Juno would spend a year in the employ of the freighter, travelling all over the galaxy and dealing with both legitimate and illegitimate freight on and off. Illegal goods would be stored, unlisted on the manifest, in exchange for a small fee. It was a good way for particularly hot merchandise to be moved when the one moving it couldn't be around it too much, though it only worked if a level of trust was involved. It would start slow, but more often than not she would wind up accepting payment to store a smuggler’s goods aboard the ship without her employer’s seeing, and would form a good series of underworld connections due to her honesty-- a rare trait in their line of work --and consistency, two important traits necessary to make this sort of business transaction work. Soon enough at every port their freighter stopped at, someone would come seeking Juno to secure their illicit cargo, her reputation as a reliable cover for the sort of goods one hid from the world now an unspoken secret. She worked carefully to avoid detection by her employers. All this would stop in 2 BIV, when Juno, who had up until this point only been an intermediary to crime and not a true participant herself, laid eyes upon the ''Red Pegasi'';'' a YT-1300 being transported by her employers. It was a beautiful thing, and to be sold at auction due to it being a ship that once belonged to an enigmatic artist who had recently died -- Which accounted for the vessel’s one-of-a-kind appearance and exorbitant value, but poor systems as they weren't tended to. Rather shamelessly, and with the help of friends made in 'the business' as she calls it, Juno would steal the ship from her employers and officially quit. This marked the beginning of her own criminal enterprise, free of middle-men and larger organizations. Friendly Neighbourhood Smuggler (2 BIV - 0 BIV) Just a year later Juno had built on her reputation by offering to smuggle directly instead of hitching onto larger cargo ships. The ''Red Pegasi became a recognizable sight in the criminal underworld, the distinctive paint job becoming something of her trademark or calling card. She avoided the larger syndicates as much as possible throughout her time in the underworld, however. A long-term commitment was not something she was fond of and that was what those larger gangs craved. She would end up moving at least some cargo for the Pyke Syndicate, though her qualms about joining the organization when offered did not go over kindly after proving her value to the group. After that, she began to operate in areas where the Pykes did not just to stay out of their way, always a little mindful of potential repercussions that might've come as a result of her actions. It didn’t take long for the Rebel Alliance to approach her, with a Fulcrum agent offering her a place in moving cargo for rebel cells and bases. Still hesitant, Juno accepted, seeing it like any other job; and the added incentive of the Rebellion having nothing to do with those she had upset in the criminal world. She began to work with the first Seraph Cell, a division of the rebellion suited to guerrilla warfare against the Empire and would become familiar with a Pantoran member of the rebellion she would liaison with often, Delan Tenro, better known to her as Green Five. The two would form a camaraderie and it would be him that convinced her to fly for the Rebel Alliance exclusively, even with all her reluctance to commit to a cause or group. By 0 BIV, despite her supposed desire for the opposite, the Red Pegasi had migrated from a symbol of criminality to one of resistance. The rebellion saw Juno carried across every sector of the galaxy, be it smuggling people or goods or even participating in naval events. At this point, Juno had fully severed contact with her family, not wanting to involve them with the Alliance, though she was certain they must have suspected. Her ship saw service in the Battle of Scarif alongside Green Squadron, running interference for the Rebel fleet and protecting the fighters until the rout. The Battle of Yavin IV She would also be present for the Battle of Yavin IV too, though she served in a defensive capacity and, upon realizing the battle was lost, tried to evacuated who she could from the moon before it imploded with the help of Delan, who was one of the last standing members of Green Squadron. Unfortunately, it was not as many as hoped and High Command was lost entirely, and, evading the Imperial fleet, a daring jump to hyperspace saved their lives. Seraph Cell (0 BIV - 3 AIV) The remnants of Green Squadron and the Red Pegasi limped to the planet Iego, a world Delan had been to prior and were swiftly informed of the Alliance’s dissolution after the loss at Yavin. Resolved to not simply give up, Seraph Cell was re-established on the Planet of a Thousand Moons and would begin recruitment, the Red Pegasi serving as primary transport for operations thanks to its stealth. Act I Juno was a fixture of Seraph throughout their endeavours to build a new resistance against the Empire, acting as their mode of transport, leader when required, and source of amusement. She performed admirably in nearly all missions which required her aid, but it was at home on Iego where things would become tense. Her brief relapse to stimsicks mixed with the abandoned temple's meddling would prove a volatile mix between her and Delan, affecting their relationship negatively. Act II Unsettled to return to her homeworld after so much time away, only ten levels down from her childhood home, Juno is only on Coruscant a few days before news from old connections pulls her off-world without any warning. The loss of her family's Kalikori had proved very detrimental to their stability in her youth, and contacts recently came forward to inform Juno that the priceless family object has just been put up for auction on Commenor, as part of an ancient art sale ran by black market dealers. Desperate to save her clan's heritage at any cost, she dropped everything in pursuit of the seller in the hopes of being able to get it returned to its rightful owners before it was sold. Personality & Traits Juno is a particularly prideful individual, frigid in some aspects and far too friendly in others. Her ''laissez-faire attitude towards situations and scenarios that demand serious thought is a particularly noteworthy trait, though not necessarily a popular one. Prior to her entrance into the Rebel Alliance, she exhibited these behaviours far more, her involvement in Seraph Cell acting as a check to her worst impulses. It can't be said that she's a particularly evil character-- her criminal history may be irrefutable to some --as she's always tried to be an honourable and earnest worker regardless of who employs her, be it the Pykes or revolutionaries, though she has done some things she can't exactly be proud of. Whether guilt or a true desire to change drives her through the resurgence of rebellion in the galaxy, it's unclear, but it is clear that there are some things Juno does need to be guilty for and must make up for in time. It can be especially hard to remain a good person while working on the wrong side of the law, and this was particularly true for Juno. Once set to a task, though, Juno is fiercely loyal and abhors unfinished work. Though she may allude to it in passing, there is no way she would willingly abandon her friends or fellow rebels, be it in battle or in peacetime, making her a resolute person one can always rely on even if a smart mouth comes with it. Old habits might be the worst vice of her's, though -- Due to her eagerness to be a person depended on, if old contacts came asking for favours, it would be hard for Juno to turn them down. Addiction is another habit of the past, Juno having an on-again-off-again relationship with certain narcotics from her childhood. Perhaps the most buried aspect of Juno's personality is her long-standing ability to persistently grieve. Narrowly avoiding the destruction of Yavin IV, her feelings concerning the battle have never been spoken on. Not only because, in general, Juno struggles to speak her mind, because even three years on the event still brings her numbing pain as she never faced the emotions the death of the Alliance brought out. It fostered her deepest fears, and that fear is the rawest aspect of her. Following her being in the CSF's custody and the subsequent Force Bond with Delan Tenro, Juno has a higher level of anxiety than before and in a far more fragile state of mind due to the shared experiences. Relationships Delan Tenro Kallone met Tenro during their joint tenure in the rebellion. Though at first, she was an independent contractor, still flying for criminals and rebels alike, it was a few words from Delan that would persuade her to swear off her syndicate work and switch to flying exclusively for the Alliance. While she would not be hailed as a General or Commander as he would, she was still an important asset, and the two worked together most notably during the naval battle at Scarif and the defence of Yavin IV. The two would narrowly escape the destruction of the moon by the skin of their teeth, managing to evacuate who they could and fleeing to the world of Iego. Though at first. their dynamic proved to be more symbiotic than built off anything substantial, time would find them as close friends-- Neither, as expected, would admit as such --forged during the horrors of the early rebellion. Yavin IV, in particular, would prove a turning point as the Alliance was at her weakest and would eventually dissolve. The faith Juno put in Delan to lead the new Seraph Cell to safety on Iego was certainly a sign of how much they'd come to trust in each other. In the years since Seraph Cell's rebirth, the two have continued to work closely to ensure the Rebellion's return. A temple on Iego with strange properties has caused rifts and uncertainty between them with stranger encounters leading them to question not just themselves or each other, but the nature of everything they think to be true. The Hermit's revelations concerning Delan's deep-rooted passion & Juno's endemic consternation for their friends and allies proves to be particularly volatile; the subjects are incredibly sensitive to them both, and provoke thoughts best left alone. Just before their separation on Coruscant Juno admitted her feelings for the Pantoran, which he seemed to reciprocate before the two were dragged apart. In the wake of this event the two formed a Force Bond which keeps them in a simple form of contact. As Delan fell deeper to the Dark Side throughout his Inquisitor training, however, such connections turned to vessels of pain and only served to give Juno agony rather than relief, and would cause a massive change in her demeanor and mood. Lev Cassel With Lev being an Imperial defector, it's expected that Juno would be slow to trust, but she has come to at least believe that Lev's motivations within the Rebellion and Seraph Cell are aligned with the overall goal of bringing about the Empire's downfall. The fact that Alderaan was one of the two known worlds destroyed by the Death Star goes a long way with her in making Lev a sympathetic figure, though she knows well pity would likely not be appreciated. Clan Kallone Juno's relationship with her family is estranged, though not necessarily due to bad or painful experiences. Growing up on Coruscant, her clan were her only companions growing up, her sisters and younger brother some of her closest, and only, friends. When she got her off-world job working in shipping, communication with her family became few and far between. Not just because of the difficulty of her scheduling, but because she wanted to involve her family less and less in the more criminal behaviours she was falling into. Once Juno joined the Rebel Alliance, it became full-on neglect, and she had not been in touch with her parents or siblings for years. Upon completing a job for the newly-formed criminal Triumvirate, Juno's 'reward' was to have credits sent to her family. The exact sum is unknown, but it can be presumed to be enough to see them safe. Powers & Abilities As a Twi'lek, Juno sports twin lekku, or headtails. She is able to communicate with body language to other Twi'lek or those who have learned a lekku's patterns by manipulating them like extra digits. Juno is also an accomplished pilot, having been a smuggler for a few years before joining the rebellion, and scoring incredibly high on simulators and other flight tests as part of her certification tests on Coruscant. Equipment The ''Red Pegasi has been the longest member of Juno's arsenal, stolen sometime in 2 BIV. A heavily-modified YT-1300 and pet project of a former artist, the ship sports a unique appearance and has been tirelessly worked on by Juno to ensure it's viability both in smuggling and combat. On the ground, Juno stays true to her Rylothian roots and uses a Glie-44 blaster pistol, and uses an A280 when a long-ranged option is necessary. Etymology The name Juno is a modern choice for a Twi'lek's name and thus does not hold any specific meaning in Ryl, the Twi'lek's language. However, when pronounced correctly in the Twi'lek tongue (ʒoo'n‿o, or jou-neau) it begins to phonetically resemble the Ryl word of Jiljoo, meaning 'gem', and as a given name generally represents prosperity blessed on a child. Thus it can be presumed, to most Twi'leks, the name 'Juno' would take on a similar meaning. Clan names are more difficult to interpret due to the Twi'lek perchance for altering and shifting words and letters to produce a more naturally-sounding name. Juno's birth name is Juna'llone, for example, and is a name only known to her clan and family. Juno Kallone is what other species know her as, which is also easiser for most to understand. The word Kallone does not technically exist in Ryl; rather, it seems to be a mix and portmanteau of Karawn, meaning 'strength', Luroon meaning 'intellect', and Olm meaning 'to bear'. Kal'lu'olm, when pronounced aloud, does begin to sound similar to Kallone, and it could be seen how the name evolved over time. If this is true, then the name can be considered to mean 'bearing strength and intellect'. Together, Juno Kallone (Or Juna'llone) can be interpreted as 'bearing prosperity, strength and intellect', which, whilst seeming an extreme blessing of fortune, seems appropriate for a child born into destitution.Category:Seraph Cell Category:Characters Category:Rebellion